After completely healing the rhinoplasty result may not be acceptable to the patient or surgeon. Sometimes, these undesirable changes don’t surface until 10 to 20 years after the rhinoplasty. The amount of revision rhinoplasty surgery required depends on the degree of the nasal deformity. Typically, revision rhinoplasty surgery is more difficult than the initial procedure because of scar tissue, stiffness, and scar contraction. In some cases, breathing problems may also complicate matters. Whereas most initial rhinoplasty procedures involve taking cartilage out of the nose to reduce its size, revision surgery is usually quite the opposite. Cartilage support is often needed in these cases to rebuild a collapsed nose or to re-establish a better airway for breathing. This support may come from the use of nasal-septal cartilage, ear cartilage, bone, or synthetic implants.

Areas of Improvement

Nose

Results will last

This is a permanent change

Recovery Time

1 week to return to normal activities

Recovery Process

While the nose may appear swollen, patients typically can return to work, school or routine activities one week following surgery and can resume light exercise in eight to 10 days. Bruising can occur but usually is resolved by one week.

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Results experienced from techniques used years ago may not be fully realized until much later. One example of this is a rhinoplasty technique devised by Irvin Goldman, which was popular in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s. This procedure led to a narrow, symmetrical nasal tip, but with continued healing and contraction, might also result in a pinched appearance.

Adding support in revision rhinoplasty may actually make the nose appear larger, although this isn’t necessarily the case. Some revision rhinoplasty procedures involve minor tweaking to make the initial result that much more pleasing. Prior to embarking upon rhinoplasty revision surgery, a thorough examination and evaluation is highly recommended. All possible options should be explored and discussed.

The Sullivan Difference

We are passionate about helping you achieve your goals. We are not here to simply sell you a new product or service. Our prescriptive skin care approach provides you with a highly-customized solution that meet your specific needs. Dr. Michael Sullivan, an internationally renowned plastic surgeon with more than 30 years of experience, will evaluate you, listen to your concerns, and then guides you to the optimal treatment regimen. Our skin care specialist will serve as your personal concierge throughout the process to answer your questions, address your concerns, and teach you how to properly care for your skin.

The specific risk and possible complications as they relate to revision rhinoplasty will be discussed at your initial consultation.

I wish I hadn’t waited so long to have surgery! The procedure was much easier than I expected—in part due to the relaxed atmosphere and, of course, the expertise of Dr. Mike and his staff!